Taylor Swift aims to extract revenge with the mysterious new track “No Body No Crime,” turning back toward her country roots for a who-done-it murder ballad.
Feeling like an accomplice to The Chicks’ classic, “Goodbye Earl,” the twangy track features rock trio HAIM, acoustic guitars and a campfire harmonica — and a cold-blooded plot. It tells the story of one of the band’s members (Este), who finds out her husband is cheating and suddenly disappears, with Swift recounting the tragedy through a hushed-but-accusing vocal. Unfolding with detailed drama, she’s convinced her friend was killed by the husband … but with no evidence it’s the perfect crime. Unless Swift takes justice into her own hands, that is.
“She thinks I did it but she just can’t prove it / No, no body, no crime / I wasn’t letting up until the day he / Died,” goes the final chorus — giving new meaning to the term “confessional.”
“No Body No Crime” (featuring HAIM) was written by Taylor Swift solo and featured on the second of her folk-influenced 2020 albums, Evermore. It marks first collaboration between Swift and HAIM, who have been mutual admirers and friends for a number of years, and was produced once again by The National’s Aaron Dessner. Swift and Dessner also teamed up with pop rocker Jack Antonoff for the album Folklore last year.